2 ZIRCONIUM(IV) COMPLEXES, [ZR2CL8(PME(3))(4)] AND TRANS-[ZRI4(PME(2)PH)(2)]

The crystal and molecular structures of di-mu chloro-bis[trichlorobis(trimethylphosphine)zirconium(IV)], [Zr2Cl8(C3H9P)4] (1), and trans-bis(dimethylphenylphosphine)tetraiodozirconium(IV), trans-[ZrI4(C8H11P)2] (2), have been determined. Compound (1) is dinuclear with Zr atoms bridged by two Cl atoms, forming the shared edge of the bipolyhedral structure. The coordination geometry around each of the seven-coordinate Zr-IV atoms is best described as face-capped octahedral. The capping PMe(3) ligands are bound to the Zr atoms through the triangular faces formed by the terminal Cl atoms. In (2), the coordination geometry of the Zr atom is octahedral with the PMe(2)Ph ligands trans to each other.